Getting organized is hard. If it weren't, we wouldn't put it off until it got even harder. There are hundreds of books out there on how to get organized; they have ideas on how to work in your garage, in your living room, in your mind, in your job. They offer every sort of idea for every sort of situation... but you know what happens to most of those books? They end up in
middle of some pile on our disorganized tables and desks. What we need is some simple, applicable ideas and systems that we can start applying today. Here are my suggestions that I've come up with after working with all different sorts of clients and situations.
First of all, get an 'information assistant' (IA) that you can carry with you throughout your day. A paper-based daily planner, a personal digital assistant (PDA) like a Palm Pilot, or even a simple notebook where you keep everything written down (those are harder to keep organized, but don't think you need to spend a bunch of money on this tool).
Once you have that IA, use it. Have it be your calendar, your address book, your notebook, your reference page, your task list. Use it every day, and keep it up to date. I now always recommend a digital solution (like a Palm) if you already have a computer as these are much easier to keep updated, and are generally easier to carry around. I love that I can carry mine in breast pocket of my sports coat. I used to have a paper planner, but I'd never take it with me in evenings. Kind of hard to 'hit town' with a notebook under your arm. More importantly, more and more of our lives are connected to internet, and this flood of information will only grow. In addition, data on a PDA can be backed up almost instantly, so if you lose it, there's no loss of information.
It takes a bit of time to get used to these tools, and of course you run into problems setting them up. It's a bit like a computer… Once there's one on your desk, it's all set up and you know how to use it, you get a lot done… but it took a while to get used to it. Plan on learning how to use your PDA so you're not fumbling around with it.
Now that your information is organized, let's look at other important aspects of getting organized. Look around your office or home: what disorganized stuff is bugging you? If there's one particular room, or corner, or drawer that really bothers you, tackle that now. Try to deal with this one space until it's cleared, but if you can't finish in one or two hours, don't worry, just come back to it again, until you've got that biggest 'monkey' off your back. Once you feel lightness from that, you will be more ready to tackle next one.
How do you tackle that spot? By applying two main rules to each and every piece of paper or stuff: (1) If it takes less than two minutes to deal with (to file it, to act on it, or to trash it), do it now. If it takes longer than two minutes to deal with, "contain" that project (meaning file/box it), and put it on your calendar to deal with it in next week. (2) If you haven't used it in over a year, toss it. An example of this might be a crafts table, piled high with craft ideas, old mail, maybe a couple of shoe boxes of photos. (Sounds sort of familiar to many of us, doesn’t it?) Well, for example, take those photos, put them in a container that they just fit in, and put on your task list/calendar a time when you will get to that project. Now, you'll probably not find 7 hours you'll need to put those photos in order all in one block, so plan on spreading that project out over time. Keep going through that pile using these two 'golden rules' of organizing.
The first step for 'tomorrow', Day 2: Managing time.
A great way to figure out 'where time goes' is to spend a day tracking where you spend your time. You'll be surprised at how much of that day is spent on things you didn't expect. Your work can be full of interruptions, distractions, problems, moments of relaxation, etc. Try to keep track of what you're doing for one whole day, in 15 minute increments. Do you really intend to spend 3 hours a day responding to email and/or surfing web? Set up systems that allow you to focus on your priorities when you want to. Do things such as: Set your email program to only check for email 3 times a day, not every minute. That way you won't be tempted/bothered when that latest email 'dings' into your inbox.
Don't answer phone. Let machine get it, and return calls all at once, on your schedule, when you’re ready. Plan an hour in morning, and an hour in afternoon.
Be smart about messages and emails you do send. Don't just call back and say, "yes, let's talk about that".. Say, "Yes, let's talk. I'd like to follow up on point A before we talk, and if you could handle point B and just CC me on email, that'd be great. Call me back at either 4pm Tuesday or 11am Wed." In other words, move conversation along, and give others options to choose from that work for you.
